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Recommended Eating: The Cracked Egg

I first heard of the Cracked Egg the school year before last, when I had the daughter of the owner in one of my classes. Always a big fan of breakfast (it’s one of my four favorite meals of the day), as soon as she told me about it I decided to go and give it a try. And then I went back. And then I went back again. Etc.

Where do I start? Should I start with the comfortable but simple-enough-to-never-seem-pretentious decor? With the sign that says, “Unattended children will be given an espresso and a puppy”? With the locations, the patio seating with huge umbrellas, the prices that are slightly higher than, say, IHOP, but reasonable and undeniably worth it?

The answer is no. I’ll start with the food and I’ll end with the food. The Cracked Egg serves the best breakfast anywhere.

If you go (when you go), you’ll be exhausted by all the fun your taste buds will have, but it won’t be enough. Oh no. You’ll need to go back. You might be tempted to instantly claim the first thing you try as your favorite, but that would be a mistake. Like dating, you’ll never really know the variety of joys out there until you play the field a little.

So try the Denver Omelet on your first foray into this early morning Shangri La. You can have a Mexican Skillet the next time, and the Californian Omelet the time after that. But, *sigh* that’s still just skimming the surface. Have you ever met someone and known after that first conversation that you could be best friends, even soul mates, for life? Eating at the Cracked Egg is like that. Only better.

But also like dating, as many dishes as you let entertain your palette, you’ll never forget your first. So be sure to observe the pretty details on your first visit.

A few weeks ago, as the school year was winding down, I realized I hadn’t treated myself to a nice breakfast before work anytime yet this year, so I pulled up to the Cracked Egg that I pass on the way to work every morning and this time I didn’t turn the corner. I was the first one in the door when they opened.

I got to enjoy the easy early morning atmosphere as I sipped at my orange juice and hot cocoa and tried to narrow down what I’d eat this time. Something new, or an old friend? I watched the sun rise and ended up getting a longtime favorite. I slowly got to know each bite and left as refreshed as one might expect to be after a weekend at a spa.